Chapter 13
Chapter 13
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: Genius Divine Archer Who Became a One-Man Legion (13)
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“A guest?”
Rian’s eyes instantly turned icy cold.
Had word about the attribute armaments already spread?
“Wait a moment!”
Rian hurriedly donned the attribute-infused breastplate and covered it with his shirt. He wrapped the longsword in cloth to hide its glow and gripped it in his left hand.
It was a situation that could turn into a fight at any moment, so he was making every preparation.
“There’s nowhere to hide it anyway.”
In a small room like this, the only spots were under the bed or in the wardrobe.
Better to fight with it in hand.
“Hoo…”
Rian took a deep breath to steady himself and opened the door.
“Where is this guest who came looking for me?”
“Yes, they said to wait behind the restaurant.”
“Thank you for letting me know.”
Rian stepped out of the inn and circled around to the back of the building.
There, he saw two men standing.
“You’re the one looking for me?”
At Rian’s words, the man who had been showing his back slowly turned around.
Brown hair and sharp eyes.
Lips curved in leisure, a gentle face contrasting with eyes that had weathered many storms.
Rian, who had seen countless people, knew at a glance.
A man who had risen from the bottom.
As Rian stared at him, the man gave a small smile and spoke.
“Hello. I am Adelson, the caravan leader of the Hamel Merchant Company.”
“The Hamel… Merchant Company?”
One of Rian’s eyes twitched slightly.
It was a name he had heard somewhere before.
“Hamel… Hamel…”
The word spun around in his mind.
It was right on the tip of his tongue, maddeningly just out of reach.
“Hamel Merchant Company?”
Suddenly, it clicked.
“You’re… Adelson of the Hamel Merchant Company?”
Rian’s eyes trembled widely.
Adelson looked a bit flustered but nodded.
“You know of the Hamel Merchant Company?”
“This man is Adelson of the Hamel Merchant Company…”
Rian didn’t know much about the Hamel Merchant Company.
It had collapsed quickly during the Great War, after all.
But even so, the reason Rian was so shocked was one single fact.
“They valued honor above all, ignoring status and caring for the common folk and those in hardship…”
It was as if they had every noble word attached to their name, but ironically, it was this very trait that led to their downfall.
Perhaps it was inevitable.
A merchant chasing “justice” and “conviction” instead of profit.
“Is heaven helping me…?”
What Rian needed most right now was someone trustworthy.
Trading ability and company size came second. As far as Rian knew, the Hamel Merchant Company was the one that upheld honor and justice the most.
“Hm, I’m Rian.”
Rian greeted him calmly.
“Don’t jump to conclusions. We don’t know yet if this is the same man from back then.”
He couldn’t be sure if the current Adelson pursued the same honor and justice as the caravan leader Rian remembered.
“But it’s worth a shot.”
“Why have you come to see me?”
“I think you know better than I do. Didn’t you say you were looking for a merchant company?”
“That’s true, but… if you sought me out, you must know the conditions I’m looking for in a company.”
“Conditions can be met. What matters is what we’re trading.”
Rian clamped his mouth shut at Adelson’s words.
An awkward silence hung between them, but it didn’t last long.
“Shall we go upstairs to talk?”
“Very well.”
Adelson nodded, and Rian led him and the man who had come with him up to the room.
Clunk.
Rian closed the door and gestured to the small chair in the room.
“Have a seat. And the item I want to trade is this.”
With those words, Rian unwrapped the cloth from the longsword and took off his shirt.
Adelson looked puzzled as Rian suddenly removed his top, but then he saw the breastplate underneath and the longsword in his hand.
“Th-this is…?”
But it wasn’t Adelson who was shocked.
The man standing beside Adelson couldn’t hide his surprise upon seeing Rian’s longsword and breastplate.
He could sense mana emanating from the weapon.
“Escort knight?”
“That’s right. This is my escort knight, Sir Bex.”
“Your reaction suggests you’ve reached quite a high level.”
“What is this?”
Bex asked Rian.
Why was mana coming from that weapon and armor? Could it be…
“A magic armament…?”
“Magic armament?”
Adelson’s eyes shook at the word.
He knew all too well what a magic armament was.
But Rian shook his head.
“No, it’s not a magic armament. As you can see, there’s no magic circle engraved on it.”
“Ah… Then what is this mana?”
“Sir Bex, can you wield aura?”
“Hm… If you’re asking if I’m an aura user, no. But I’ve steadily trained in mana cultivation techniques, so I have a bit of mana.”
“In that case, would you infuse this sword with mana? As much as you can.”
Rian handed the longsword to Bex.
Bex took the sword from Rian and glanced at Adelson with a puzzled expression.
Nod.
“Very well, I’ll try.”
Bex drew the sword from its sheath and immediately drew up his aura.
Though it was a tiny amount, the moment the mana flowing from Bex’s hand was absorbed into the sword, whoosh!
Flames roared to life along the longsword.
“…!”
“F-Fire?!”
Bex and Adelson couldn’t hide their shock.
It was a mana blade.
“It’s not a mana blade. If I had to name it… an attribute sword. A fire-attribute sword.”
“A fire-attribute sword…?”
“Yes. The result of long experiments, finally successful. Unlike magic armaments, these attribute armaments don’t use engraved magic circles, so even if the sword is damaged in battle, the ability doesn’t vanish. Though its power is less than a magic sword…”
Rian removed his breastplate and handed it to Bex.
“First… excuse me for a moment.”
Bex nodded at Rian’s words. Rian then swung the longsword at the breastplate Bex was wearing.
Slash!
It wasn’t a full-force swing, so it didn’t cut through completely.
But a clear sword mark was left where Rian had struck.
“I’ll say this clearly: I’ll swing with similar force. Now, Sir Bex, infuse it with mana.”
Nod.
Bex finished preparing and spoke.
“I’m ready.”
“Then…”
Clang-!
“…!”
Despite the same swing, the sound was different when the sword struck the breastplate.
Like striking rock or stone. And moreover,
“This is…?”
“As you see, the mark is completely different from before, right?”
The breastplate was leather, struck by a steel sword. The first strike left a clear cut, but the second was just a light scratch.
“Its durability has increased.”
“To think such an armament can manifest with this meager mana…”
Bex had trained with the sword and mana cultivation for years, but he wasn’t an aura user.
An aura user needed to be able to reinforce their body or weapon with aura.
With the mana Bex had, even one second of reinforcement was difficult.
Just an escort knight with a bit of accumulated mana.
That was his level.
“What do you think of this attribute armament?”
“Th-that… this…”
Adelson’s hand trembled as he touched the breastplate. Bex was the same.
For a fleeting moment, desire flickered in his eyes.
“It certainly lives up to its reputation.”
But they were holding back.
That alone showed the extent of their “honor.”
“Whew… This is awkward.”
Adelson gave a hollow laugh.
Normally, for a trade, you’d haggle with the cards you hold.
But in this situation, did he have any cards to bargain with over this absurd item?
“The price is what you make it. No, more than that…”
Adelson’s eyes sharpened.
“Do you have more of these attribute armaments?”
“Yes.”
Gulp.
Adelson swallowed dryly and asked Rian.
“How many more? What kinds?”
“Before that, there’s something you must promise if we’re to trade.”
“Go ahead.”
At Adelson’s words, Rian handed over a prepared sheet of paper.
Adelson took it and read the contents.
“Hm… I see.”
After finishing, the corner of Adelson’s mouth lifted slightly.
The way he looked at Rian changed.
Eyes filled with interest and a strange emotion.
Adelson nodded.
“Agreed.”
“Then… shall we start the trade?”
* * *
“Caravan leader! Caravan leader!”
Returning to the inn where the company was staying, Bex couldn’t contain his excitement.
No, he didn’t bother to.
This was revolutionary.
Even if the effect wasn’t huge, an armament with magical properties had appeared.
One even those like him, who couldn’t properly wield mana, could use.
“And only ten per year. If these hit the market right, our company could become the richest in the kingdom—no, the continent—in just a few months.”
“Bex, calm down.”
“But, caravan leader. Think about…”
“Bex!”
Adelson raised his voice sharply, staring at him.
Adelson rarely ever did that, so Bex flinched and shut his mouth.
Adelson looked at Bex and spoke.
“Return to your usual self. Do you know how you look right now?”
“B-but…”
“I know how much you care for the Hamel Merchant Company. And I know this is an unmatched opportunity for us. But…”
Adelson sat in a chair and poured water into a cup.
The cool water sliding down his throat seemed to clear his mind.
Pfft.
But the more he thought, the more absurd it seemed.
“Ten… ten per year…”
One of the conditions he proposed.
-Supply ten per year.
He didn’t know the reason.
Maybe that was all he could produce.
But Adelson knew it wasn’t.
He was deliberately limiting the quantity.
But that was understandable.
Raising value through scarcity early on was a solid plan.
The condition that puzzled Adelson came next.
-Present the creator of these armaments as the Hamel Merchant Company.
“Hm…”
Why hide himself?
When these attribute armaments hit the world, fame and wealth would follow.
For that young boy, no less.
“And…”
Finally, the boy demanded 2000 gold from the Hamel Merchant Company.
For a company like Hamel, not a massive one, 2000 gold was a huge sum.
But Hamel gladly paid in jewels.
If things went well, it wouldn’t be 2000 gold, but hundreds of times that.
The problem was…
“Bex, send someone to look into that boy.”
“Why?”
“We need to know if he’s genuine or if someone’s behind him. And if this trade marks a change for our Hamel Merchant Company, shouldn’t we at least check if our client is a villain or not?”
“Y-yes!”
“Find out what he plans to use the 2000 gold for, too.”
“Understood.”
“And lastly, don’t covet the attribute armaments. It’s an item that could bring disaster if people like us get greedy.”
“…Yes.”
As Bex obediently replied, Adelson grinned and stood up.
“We’re going to be busy from now on.”
Adelson muttered while gazing at the two attribute armaments he had received from Rian.